Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Bus Trivia Questions

If you have a LONG bus ride to summer camp, here are tons of ideas to help fill the time. Another fun bus activity is to simply play BUS TRIVIA.Below are 10 things I usually do when we play on trips:

Give prizes! They go a long way to giving kids buy-in when playing the game. Offer a milkshake at the next food stop for the first place winner.

In order to buzz in, contestants must yell their first name. This is also a good way to learn kids names if you don't know everyone on the bus! If there's a tie or it's confusing as to who buzzed in first, have them play Rock-Paper-Scissors to see who gets to answer.

If you're at the front of the bus on the microphone, it gives an advantage to kids sitting near the front so I usually ask the kids that want to play to move closer to the front or station another leader near the middle in the aisle so they can help me judge who buzzed in first.

Let the leader standing in the aisle also be your score keeper, writing down kids names when they get a question right or wrong.

Each question is worth 1 million points. It's the exact same as each question being worth one point, just funnier.

Wrong answers are NEGATIVE 1 million points and as soon as a wrong answer is stated, anyone else can buzz in by yelling their name.

Have 4 different rounds and increase the point values each time like below. It's annoying to the kids who already have points, but it's funny and makes kids want to keep playing. If you have a REALLY long ride, break up the 4 rounds into different parts of the trip. "Always leave kids wanting more."

Round 1 - 1 million

Round 2 - 2 million

Round 3 - 5 million

Round 4 - 10 million

We're YL leaders, so naturally we run Bus Trivia as a skit character. Yes, it's more work, and you're tired of being on the bus, but OH BOY, it's fun. Just go to the bus bathroom and put on a wig and sunglasses and have someone at the front play Tom Jones' "It's Not Unusual" as your theme music and then walk down the aisle as 'Mr. Good Times,' because 'It's always a good time, with Mr. Good Times."

No phones allowed when answering questions!

Finally, get the bus driver involved and let him ask a couple questions. The kids love it!